Guess what??? Our Runner Ducks are MALE!!!! Soon after I wrote the last post about our First Adventure With Ducks, our ducks developed a small curl on the end of their tails. This was a sure tell sign that they are in fact….male. So now I have 2 non-Pekin, non-Khaki Cambell, non-female ducks. Great. Just great. The boys (now named Fudge & Rupert) will still eat bugs around the yard and the kids can occasionally catch them without much of a fight. At least they are bringing joy to someone…
As the summer went on, however, the “boys” became more aggressive. They started to run after the dog and anything else that came near them. They would only run after you when your back was turned and would immediately stop if you turned around and looked at them, but still…not the fat friendly ducks that I had imagined.
“No problem”, I thought. I had a new plan. I would buy 2 white female ducks that were that same age and proven to be female. So off I went to a local farm where various fowl ran a muck all over the property. Chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineas hens…all living in harmony. I picked out two big white Muscovy females and brought them home. I put them in a small pen so the “boys” could check them out without hurting them. Only….Muscovy ducks can fly. Duh. The “girls” flew right over the pen. Charlie Dog ran over to meet them and they flew the fence and down the street. Off I went running after my new ducks. sigh. I caught them and brought them back to their new home, put the dog inside and left the the “boys” and “girls” alone to get to know each other.
It was like watching a middle school dance. The girls were so excited to meet their new flock and would walk over to the boys all pretty like, and the boys would spin in circles talking to each other and not knowing what to do! The girls kept trying, and the boys would either run away or chase the girls away. Not the harmonious duck family I was hoping for.
This went on for a few days. The girls were even bold enough to go in the duck house with the boys at night. But when morning came, the boys were still….boys. The girls gave up and decided to live with the hens. The “girls” are all very happy together and yesterday we found 2 duck eggs in the coop! Yippee!!
The boys? Well….they go over to the hen house each day and check them all out. However, the last time I let the girl ducks out they attacked the boys and pinned them to the ground. I’m guessing baby ducks are not in my future. “Diamond & Pearl” are here to stay…”Fudge & Rupert” might be looking for a new home.
So after spending $30 on 4 ducks, $70 repairing the Duck House, $10 on a duck pool, $10 on wood shavings, and $50 on duck feed…. I finally got 2 duck eggs, 2 male ducks that live in the fancy duck house and 2 female ducks that live in the chicken coop.
I would not call this a profitable adventure, but it was a learning experience for us all!
Anyone want 2 boy runner ducks? I’m not joking.
Nice Family Homestead 